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27-12-2020, 12:57 PM
21

Re: Knowl Park

Originally Posted by fruitcake ->
thanks for the encouragement. It's a bit difficult to know whether a story is worth progressing from a hundred and twenty odd views, but very few comments.

chapter 3 is about 3/4 writ.
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28-12-2020, 04:06 PM
22

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 3 Part 1

Millie’s heart was racing as Master Philip sat beside her under the stairs, pulled her to him, pressed her head on his shoulder and gently stroked her hair.

On the landing Amanda Prentice stifled a sob. She had been sweet on Philip Marsden for years, and he knew it. She had told him so moments after he had revealed his plans to go away to college for three years. He would be twenty-one by the time he finished, an eligible bachelor, and she was convinced he would come back engaged or worse still, married to someone else.
He had told her gently that whilst he had no plans to do so, he agreed that it was always possible. He had said she was too young for him, had called her a child, but that eventually she would find someone her own age.

Waving him off to college at the station, she had quietly wept. The problem was that she knew he was right, at least about being too young. She doubted though that any other young man for miles around could ever turn her head.

Millie of all people had put an arm around her just as Philip was doing to Millie now. For a week after Philip left, Amanda had moped around her home to the annoyance of her parents, although they knew what the problem was. Her father had told her not to fall for Philip but she had ignored the warning.
Then the first letter arrived. In it, Philip mentioned he had also written to his family, his friend Lady Charlotte, and his friends William and Millie. He’d deliberately sent one letter to the last two in the hope that they would read it together. They were sweet on each other, or so everyone thought at the time.
Oh poor William; what would he do when he found out about Philip and Millie?

“Dear Miss ’Manda,” the letter had begun. “I hope you are well. After a pleasant but otherwise uneventful journey, I arrived safely at my lodgings.”
“I thought you might like to know that on the way here I did not meet, nor fall in love with any young ladies, nor become engaged.”
He then told of being greeted by his landlady with tea and cakes, as well as a description of his room with a promise to include a sketch of it next time he wrote.

Philip’s mother had offered Amanda a job as a maid not long after she turned fourteen. She would be working with her friends William and Millie, and would get to see more of her friend Philip whenever he came home from college.

For nearly two and a half years, Philip wrote to his friends and family at least twice a month. Every letter to Amanda repeated the line about not meeting or falling in love with anyone, and had become a standing joke between them.
As she approached her sixteenth birthday, she expected any day to get an envelope written in Philip’s untidy script, but it never arrived.
By seven o’clock on the day itself, she had become quite despondent, then came the clatter of hooves outside followed by a knock on the cottage door. It had taken Philip two and a half hours to get there straight from college, and he had to leave after only half an hour later to ensure he caught the last train back, but Amanda thought it was the best present she had ever had.
Five months later she had begun to think that her worst fears might not come true after all. Philip would turn twenty-one in a month’s time, and a month after that he would finish college and be home for good.
She had thought that perhaps she might have a chance to turn his head her way after all once she was a little older, but not now.

She had kept every letter he had written but after seeing the couple below she decided that she would burn them in the morning, in his own fireplace! That would teach him.
She slept fitfully that night, and was very short with everyone when she arrived in the kitchen before starting work.

As she turned the corner into the family hallway on the first floor, she almost bumped into Philip.

“Oh Miss ’Manda, I’m so clumsy, I do apologise. How are you today?” All said, she thought to herself, as if everything was perfectly normal.


© December 2020
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28-12-2020, 04:06 PM
23

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 3 Part 2


When she didn’t reply he became concerned. “Oh ’Manda, is there something wrong? Are you ill? I have to say you don’t look well.” It was true. She hadn’t slept properly and really didn’t feel like being in this house today. She wanted to burn his letters, hand in her notice, and then go home. She had been such a fool and couldn’t bear to spend another day under the same roof as him.

“I’m alright; there’s nothing wrong, I just need to get on with my work.”

After a brief pause Philip said, “No, there is definitely something wrong. You’re clenching your fists, you have your eyes screwed up and you are biting your lip just like you do when you are upset or in pain.”
“I know it’s not your time of the month because that was last week, so unless you are injured or ill, I must assume you are upset.”
“How can he know such intimate things about me yet not care for my feelings?” she thought.
“You’re my best friend,” he said. “I care about you, so please, what is wrong?”

Suddenly she blurted out, “I saw you with Millie last night!”

“Ah yes,” he said, far too casually for her liking. Then he stunned her with his next comment
“She was in a fair old state when I found her, and it took me ages to calm her down.”

Suddenly doubt shot through her mind. Philip would help anyone without thinking, especially a friend. “Help? Why, what was wrong with Millie”

“She’s terrified of thunderstorms. I was awakened around midnight by the noise so I decided to take a look around the house to make sure the windows and shutters were all secure when I heard sobbing coming from under the stairs.”
“Millie was there, crying and hugging her knees, rocking to and fro. I asked her what was wrong, then there was a sudden clap of thunder and she burst into tears, so I sat with her and put my arm round her, trying to comfort her but it didn’t work. I wish you would have come down to help. Why didn’t you?”

Then he noticed his letters in Amanda’s hand. Um, why do you have them, and a box of Lucifers? It’s June and surely we don’t need any fires lit today?”
Then Philip realised she was red from the neck up, shaking, and looked like she was about to burst into tears herself.

“When I saw you last night under the stairs with your arm around her I, I thought you and Millie were … were, oh I was so wrong, you, you must hate me for thinking such a terrible thing.”

Philip took the letters and placed them carefully on one of the small tables alongside the balustrade that overlooked the main entrance hall, then took the matches and put them in his pocket before saying, “Hopefully, you won’t be needing these now.”

“Oh no,” she thought. “He knows what I was going to do.”

Feeling foolish and ashamed she squeezed her eyes shut waiting for ridicule and rebuke, but it never came. Instead, she found that he was hugging her and saying quietly,
“Oh Miss ’Manda; what am I to do with you?”

Leading her gently to one of the upright chairs by the table, he told her, “I think you should sit here before you collapse,” both of them remembering the first time he had advised her to do the same after she had been attacked when she was eleven.

Meanwhile Travis, Albert Marsden’s newly hired footman, slithered out of his hiding position across the landing. Last night he had seen the young master having a secret assignation with the very attractive blond maid, and now here he was with his arms around the short, dumpy, brown-haired one.
It wasn’t fair, but he was intent on having his sport with one or other of the two girls, and decided he could probably persuade his employer’s son to part with money if he wished to avoid a scandal, and avoid each of the girls from finding out about his affairs with the other.


© December 2020
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28-12-2020, 04:07 PM
24

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 3 Part 3



Sitting on the other chair, Philip began to explain what had happened the night before, and how he had finally managed to calm their friend down.

“First, I taught her how to work out whether the storm was approaching or receding by counting the time between the flash of lightening and the crash of thunder. If it is getting shorter, then the storm is approaching, but if it is taking longer each time, as it was doing when I found her, it means the storm is moving further away.”
“After that she was calmer. I then asked her what was her happiest moment.”
“I told her that when I am hurt, or sad, or upset, I think of my happiest time.” With a huge grin on his face he said, “I told her mine was stuffing a pasty into your mouth." Before Amanda could say anything, Philip carried on.

“Millie told me her happiest memory was one Christmas a few years ago with all her family round the tree at her home. Did you know she sends most of her wages home every week and leaves very little for herself?”

“I told her in future that whenever she is unhappy, hurt, or upset, to think about that happiest time, and go and find her friends as well.”

“After that I escorted her back to her room before retiring again to mine. It’s up to you if you decide to tell anyone about this morning, but I shalln’t say anything myself.”
“Now, unless you have a different idea, I suggest you put these in your room and then go back to work before anyone starts asking questions.”
With that he handed his letters to his friend, gave her a gentle squeeze of her arm, and headed down to the library to do some studying for his college exams.

The following evening, Master Philip was intercepted by Travis whilst on his way back to the manor library after tea.

In an oily voice, the footman began to speak.
“I saw you with your arms around pretty Millie the other night, and again when you were doing the same to that brunette girl yesterday as well. It seems hardly fair that you should be carrying on with both, especially when you will no doubt one day be marrying some titled lady or other”

“I can understand you wanting to have a bit of fun with one of them, but both? That's just greedy

“I tell you what; I won’t tell anyone about what I saw as long as you pay me five pounds, and don’t interfere when I take one of them to my bed. I’m sure you don’t want either girl to know about your, how shall I put it, indiscretions with the other, and you certainly wouldn’t want this to impair your chances of a suitable marriage to some rich girl now would you? It would be most unfortunate if someone’s father were to find out the sort of thing you had been getting up to with the common maids here.”

Travis was undoubtedly handsome, getting his good looks from his mother and his olive skin and black hair from his Italian father, but his sly nature was all his own doing.
He had left devastation as he had moved from one position to another across the country. A pregnant maid dismissed in disgrace here, a daughter suddenly absent for nine months there and a secret payment to keep his mouth shut were all part of his methods.
Having seen the young master here in action he assumed the manor house would be no different.
Albert Marsden was not a gullible man, but had taken at face value Travis’s letters of recommendation little realising they were bought as part of his promise of silence from previous employees.

Philip was angry and told the footman he had no intention of giving in to blackmail. He also warned the footman not to approach any member of the female staff, especially the two youngest women.

With a smirk, Travis said, “As you wish … sir,” and slid out of the room.


© December 2020
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28-12-2020, 04:08 PM
25

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 3 Part 4


Philip tried to read but the encounter with Travis kept running around inside his head. He didn’t trust Travis and fully expected him to cause more trouble at some point, but he didn’t expect it come so soon.

Twenty minutes after the footman had parted, Molly Ferguson the Housekeeper burst into the library in a very agitated state.
“Oh Master Philip, you must come straight away, William and Travis are fighting in the scullery.”

By the time he got there it was all over. Travis was on his knees holding his side with one hand and a bloodied kerchief to his nose with the other whilst William stood over him, his eyes blazing in fury.

Millie was sitting on a chair holding Amanda’s arm who in turn was holding a heavy cast iron frying pan, and in front of them stood the short figure of Harold Ferguson, the head butler and Molly’s husband, arms spread protecting the two young women behind him.

Pointing at Travis, Harold said, “He tried to force himself on Millie. I heard her call out and came in here from the kitchen and tried to get him off her but he was too strong for me. William came in and, well, I had to pull him off Travis after the first few punches lest he kill the man.”
Nobody would doubt the veracity of Harold’s statement. He was a good worker, loyal employee, and as honest as they come.

Philip then surprised everyone by walking over to the two young women before kissing each one lightly on the cheek whilst pointedly looking at the disgraced footman.
“You have mistaken friendship for lust and have show your true colours. Turning to the room in general he continued, “Travis thought I was having affairs at the same time with both these young ladies in secret.” This resulted in disgusted glares towards the injured man on the floor, and snorts of disbelief from others.
“He also threatened to ruin my chances of engagement, should it ever occur, by telling any prospective bride’s father about my perceived crimes unless I paid him five pounds.”
This brought a gasp from the assembled staff who had been steadily entering the scullery to find out what was going on.

Stepping in front of Travis, Philip said calmly to his friend, “Would you mind helping me to throw this … this man out, then go and throw his chattels out the window.

For a moment Philip thought William was going to ignore him, but eventually his face calmed, saying, “Twill be my pleasure.”

Harold unbolted and opened the scullery door leading to the yard, whilst the two young men dragged the protesting footman outside. Pointing a finger at the man, Philip warned him, “I am not a violent man, but if you come anywhere near the Knowl estate, or any of the people that work or live here, wherever they might be, I shall drag you here and lock you in the barn with William.”
Pointing at one of the windows he continued. “As soon as you have your belongings, get you gone,” deliberately making as much noise as he could as he banged the door shut and shot home the bolt.

“Mrs Pearson, hot sweet tea for the girls if you please. I’m off to tell my father why he needs to hire a new footman.”

Philip was accompanied by his parents when he returned ten minutes later. His mother immediately went to Millie and embraced her whilst his father first clapped his hand on Harold’s shoulder, then looked William in the eye and shook his hand, telling him he disliked violence, but protecting a lady’s honour would not be frowned upon.
He then apologised profusely to all the staff for allowing such a monster into his home. He had been duped and would see to it that as many well to do families as possible knew about Travis, and also the two agencies in the next town that provided staff to local households would be warned as well.

At Albert’s insistence, glasses and a decanter were produced, and a measure of fine Andalusian Sherry was poured for all the staff and family alike.


© December 2020
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28-12-2020, 05:19 PM
26

Re: Knowl Park

I'm glad that had a happy ending, Fruitcake, is there more?
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28-12-2020, 05:45 PM
27

Re: Knowl Park

Yes there is more in my head and a few sub-plots with some additional characters to come.

I also intend to include the original long version of "Charlotte's story".

The main problem I have at the moment is that I don't have an ending in my head, happy or otherwise, for the main story.

What would you like to see happen?
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28-12-2020, 06:16 PM
28

Re: Knowl Park

I'm no good at stories, I think you will do it better as it's your story, Fruitcake.
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04-01-2021, 09:19 PM
29

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 4 Part 1


Two days after Millie had been attacked, Master Philip knocked on the Davis family door which was answered by the girl's mother. After introducing himself, Philip stood to one side to reveal Millie who was stepping down from a four-wheeled open carriage driven by William, and accompanied by Amanda who had been sitting opposite her friend during the journey from Knowl Park.

Mrs Davis was thrilled to see her eldest daughter and hugged her tightly before calling for her husband. He worked at the local lime kiln, but despite his rough appearance, he was a very gentle man and obviously adored his children.
Like many modern Victorian streets, there were alleyways every half a dozen houses leading to stables, so Mr Davis helped William unhitch the horses and walked them round the back where they would be safe until it was time to leave.

Once they were all inside the family home, Philip suggested Millie take her siblings to play in another room while he told their parents about the unpleasant events of the last few days.
He began by describing how he had found Millie, distraught and weeping because of a thunder-storm, and how he had eventually managed to calm her down.
Then he told of the nasty affair with the footman who had assaulted Millie. He didn’t go into detail because he didn’t want to distress the girl’s parents any more than necessary. He did however tell them of the head butler who first confronted the footman, how William had broken the man’s nose, how Millie had kicked him where it hurts a man most, and how Amanda had probably broken his ribs by hitting him edgewise with a heavy frying pan.

Millie’s parents were both horrified, yet gratified that so many people had come to her daughter's aid, and how she herself had fought back.

Once Millie returned, her three friends spent the afternoon getting to know Millie’s family better.

There was some confusion at first when Mrs Davis asked if there were ever any problems with two people in the manor house both being called Philip. Millie’s parents were surprised to hear that actually there was only one.
“Oh,” Mrs Davis began, “but Millie often mentions her friend Philip in her letters as well as Master Philip, the son of the Knowl Park landowners."

“Yes, they are both me,” Philip replied with a smile. “I’m Philip Marsden. Millie and Amanda both work for my mother, and William works for my father, but the three of them are also my friends.”
“I’ve known Amanda the longest, ever since she was three, William since he was thirteen, and your Millie since she was fourteen.”

“My family and I grew up in a house like this one before my father inherited the Knowl Estate. I used to play alongside the canal, or in the street just like your youngest two do.

Master Philip somehow ended up spending the remaining time on the floor giving rides to Millie’s younger brother and sister on his back. Sometimes James and Amelia took turns, but most of the time it was both together. The two children were most upset when Philip eventually declared that it was time to for the four friends to go.

Whilst Millie and her siblings went to watch William and Millie’s father hitch the horses, Mrs Davis put her hand on Philip’s arm and said, “I’m so glad our Millie has such good friends.”

“She obviously misses you all,” he replied. I think it would do her good to see her family more often. I’m due to finish college in two months-time, and a month after that the annual summer fayre is due to take place on the common. I think it would nice if we could meet up then, what do you think?

“Oh yes, that would be lovely. I’ll make sure Millie writes to me to arrange it.”

“I’ll make sure she does as well,” replied Philip as he helped the two young ladies into the carriage before climbing nimbly onto the seat next to William, all of them waving to Millie’s family as the horses trotted down the street until they turned the corner and were finally out of sight.


© December 2021
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04-01-2021, 09:20 PM
30

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 4 Part 2


Philip’s twenty-first birthday was a remarkably unremarkable affair. His final exams were due to start two days hence and he decided he could spare neither the time nor afford the distraction to celebrate it, so spent the time studying in his lodgings instead.

Four weeks later, college was over and he packed his bags to go home. His final gesture to Mrs Phillips who had been his landlady for three years was to buy her flowers as well as a vase, having noted some months earlier that she had broken one whilst cleaning.
William met him at the town station, saying the girls were busy at the manor and couldn’t be spared.
His father was out when the two young men got home, but Philip’s mother was there on the manor house steps to welcome him as the Jaunting Car the household used for light transport came round the final curve of the driveway.
After washing and changing, Philip headed down to the kitchen, having missed lunch due to his travels. At first, the place looked deserted, but suddenly all the staff were there to greet him. Mrs Pearson had made and iced a cake especially for him, but apologised for the poor writing on it that said, Welcome Home.
With a huge grin, Amanda quipped, “Well at least it is readable, unlike Philip’s handwriting.”
This earned her a filthy look from Philip and a mock dig in the ribs, then everyone laughed when he admitted that actually, it was all true.

Albert Marsden was delighted to see his son when he got home, and they spent the rest of the afternoon discussing all manner of things in the comfortable study that faced the park at the front of the manor.

For the next few days, Philip caught up on both private and estate correspondence that had been received but not opened whilst he was away. Most of it simply required a short apology that he had missed letters because he had not been there at the time due to attending college.
Some letters were invitations for events in the near future, but Philip decided he needed to concentrate on taking over the estate management as his priority before he could attend purely social occasions.

There was however one date on his social calendar the following month that he had no intention of missing, which was the summer fayre that would take place over five days on the common in the adjacent town.
After discussions with his parents and the current estate manager, Albert and Sarah declared a holiday for all the staff that allowed everyone to attend the fayre in small groups and still enable the household and estate to function.
Millie was tasked with writing to her family to find out when they would be going to the fayre, and Amanda spoke to her family for the same reason. Eventually a date was set when they could all go together and arranged a specific place and time where they would meet.

On the day itself, the four friends took the one horse Jaunting Car and left it at one of the temporary stables that had been set up specifically for the fayre.

There were booths for one man shows and group performances, open areas for people to act or sing, stalls selling all sorts of food and drink, and showman engines driving fairground rides as well as carousels large and small. In the centre of the fairground was a roped off area and next to it was a Ferris Wheel that had taken several days to erect.
This was where the friends had arranged to meet the rest of Millie’s family as well as Philip’s friend Charlotte. As the friends threaded their way through the crowds, they sometimes walked four abreast, or in pairs, or in a chain holding hands in no particular order to ensure they didn’t become separated. None of them thought it the slightest bit unusual at one point for Philip to be holding William’s hand who was holding Amanda’s hand who was holding Millie’s.

Suddenly, Millie gave a squeal of delight as she saw the stocky figure of her father and then moments later the whole family was with Philip and his friends. Whilst they were talking, Charlotte and Daisy Dickens arrived as well. Daisy was about forty but thrilled to be at the fayre with her charge whom she was chaperoning. She liked Charlotte and no matter what, she would be telling her master as little as possible about the day’s events lest he did not approve.

As they moved around the fairground, they took part in trials of strength and skill, watched jugglers, and knife throwers, and sword swallowers, and fire eaters, and much more.
They went on many of the rides before stopping at the central area to watch a tug of war between two mighty traction engines. Because of their size, the two youngest members of the party couldn’t see very well, so Philip hoisted little Amelia onto his shoulders, and William did the same with James.
Afterwards it was decided they would ride the Ferris Wheel. Philip had a furtive discussion with Millie’s parents, then slipped a shilling to the Showman operating the wheel, pointing at William and Millie as he did so whilst they weren’t looking.



© December 2021
 
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